CC pitcher stays cool on scorching day

Munn credits defense for confidence

Written by
NATHAN BAIRD

SOUTH BEND — The numbers predicted a pitching duel between Central Catholic’s Austin Munn and Fort Wayne Blackhawk Christian’s Matt Kaplanis at Saturday’s Class A semistate.

The pitchers delivered on that promise. Kaplanis held the Knights in check most of the day, but Munn’s strikeout stuff led Central Catholic to a 4-1 victory.

The field turf that stunk of melted rubber after the game magnified an already hot afternoon at Coveleski Stadium, home of the Arizona Diamondbacks’ Class A affiliate. Yet after throwing 125 pitches, Munn said he could throw more if needed, and his final strike registered 85 miles per hour on the stadium scoreboard.

“I still feel good,” Munn said. “It’s just going out there and knowing to throw your pitches, because you have a defense. I know I can work a deep count. In case they do put it in play they’re going to be there for me.”

Munn had struck out 112 and walked 45 in 73 2/3 innings entering the game, so high pitch counts are nothing new. Yet Munn said he wasn’t compelled to try a more efficient approach despite the conditions.

Although junior Andrew Hubertz did warm up in the bullpen at one point, CC coach Tim Bordenet said the game was Munn’s to lose.

“Austin’s in great shape,” Bordenet said. “He’s a very hard worker, and there was no way he was coming out of this ballgame. He’s worked too hard for his career to let one slip away because of the heat. He gutted it out and just a whale of a performance from him.”

Kaplanis struck out only three Knights (compared to Munn’s 13 strikeouts), and even walked two batters after walking only nine in his first 53 innings. Central Catholic did not put multiple runners on base against the future University of Indianapolis pitcher in any inning until their breakthrough in the sixth.

“He was throwing the ball pretty hard; it was coming at us,” said CC center fielder Cowan Olinger, who tripled and singled as one of the few Knights to solve Kaplanis. “He had a good bite to his curve, and a couple of times it fooled us. The whole week we just said stay short on the fastball and look for the fastball, and that’s what we got most of that inning.”

Munn will make his fourth start in a state championship game, but his first as a pitcher. In his first three seasons, he watched Taylor Glaze (twice) and Brett Haan pitch Central Catholic to championship game victories.

Munn knew he needed a strong performance opposite Kaplanis to ensure his own moment on the Victory Field mound.

“We knew it was going to be a pitcher’s duel,” said Munn, who will play at Ave Maria University in Florida. “It was going to be the team that put the bat on the ball more, made the most plays. I knew I had a defense behind me and I knew the runs were going to come.

“The pitcher’s duel came out the way we thought it would, and we came out victorious.”